Wheel bearing on an axle body for vehicles

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a method for mounting a wheel on an axle housing in the form of an axle tube ( 1 ) for vehicles, in particular commercial vehicles, whereby the wheel is fixed e.g. with wheel bolts to a wheel hub, pivoting on the axle stub ( 2 ) of the axle tube ( 1 ) and the axle stub ( 2 ) is clamped on to an end section ( 3 ) of the axle tube ( 1 ) as a separate component. For simplicity of manufacture and assembly combined with functional durability it is proposed that the end section ( 3 ) of the axle tube ( 1 ) is cylindrical on the inside, that the axle stub ( 2 ) fits into the end section ( 3 ) of the axle tube ( 1 ) with an externally corresponding cylindrical connecting section ( 5 ) and that the end section ( 3 ) of the axle tube ( 1 ) is radially clamped on to the connecting section ( 5 ) of the axle stub ( 2 ) by means of at least one clamping piece ( 6 ) that is adjustable in axial direction to the end ( 12 ) of the axle tube ( 1 ) by means of a threaded bolt ( 8 ).

The invention concerns a method for mounting a wheel on an axle housing in the form of an axle tube for vehicles, in particular commercial vehicles, whereby the wheel is fixed e.g. with wheel bolts to a wheel hub, pivoting on the axle stub of the axle tube and the axle stub is clamped on to an end section of the axle tube as a separate component.

For passenger vehicles a method is known whereby the axle stub is connected to the other part of the axle housing by means of flange connections. The purpose is to shift the interface between wheel, wheel hub and axle housing, i.e. at the wheel bearing, to a location between the axle stub and the axle housing so that if the brake disc needs replacement, the mounting of the wheel, i.e. the wheel bearing, is not affected, because it never needs to be taken out any more However, such flange connections are not suitable for the absorption of the considerable forces encountered in commercial vehicles.

It has therefore already been proposed to equip the separate axle stub with a conical connecting section which is clamped by means of an axial screw into an inner cone of the end section opening towards the axle end. However this method of wheel mounting requires considerable manufacturing and assembly effort and can moreover lead to an undesired expansion of the end section of the axle tube.

This invention therefore proposes a wheel mounting of the type described which is simple both from a manufacturing and assembly aspect and at the same time functionally durable.

The invention proposes e.g. that the end section of the axle tube is cylindrical inside and that the axle stub fits into the end section of the axle tube with an externally corresponding cylindrical connecting section and that the end section of the axle tube is radially clamped on to the connecting section of the axle stub by means of at least one clamping piece that is adjustable in axial direction to the end of the axle tube by means of a threaded bolt.

In this manner the clamping forces are transferred from the connecting section of the axle stub to the end section of the axle tube over a large surface so that even in the case of low clamping forces there is a very secure connection between axle stub and axle tube. Moreover the assembly and disassembly of such a wheel mounting can be carried out easily and quickly.

In this case the clamping piece may be in the form of a clamping cone cooperating with an interior conical surface of the connecting section of the axle stub opening towards the opposite end of the axle tube.

In an alternative embodiment the clamping piece may be conceived as a clamping wedge cooperating with an inclined surface of the connecting section of the axle stub oriented towards the opposite end of the axle tube.

To facilitate the expansion of the connecting section of the axle stub, the wall of the connecting section forming the internal conical surface may feature at least one basically axis parallel expansion slit which is open at the inside end of the connecting section. This slit preferably tapers from the inside end of the connecting section towards the end of the axle tube. In this case the clamping piece may be of cruciform design whose arms engage the tapering expansion slit(s). As the clamping piece is being tensioned, the cross arms therefore push progressively deeper into the expansion slits so that the end result is an expansion of the connecting section of the axle stub and its being clamped on to the axle tube.

In the latter case the outside circumference of the cross arms of the clamping body is basically of cylindrical configuration so that it can be carried on the inner cylindrical end section of the axle tube.

The bracing of the clamping body on the connecting section can be achieved in a simple manner by the fact that a threaded section of the axial threaded bolt is received in an internal thread of the clamping piece and that the threaded bolt pivots on the axle stub. Co-rotation of the clamping piece is thereby suitably prevented.

In order to ensure clamping of the connecting section of the axle stub to the end section of the axle tube over a large area, the clamping piece should act on the end section of the axle tube in an area away from the brake bracket. In order to avoid in that case an undesired expansion of the axle tube towards its end, the area away from the brake bracket of the end section of the axle tube should be located on the side of the brake bracket opposite the end of the axle tube.

It is thereby advantageous to reinforce the axle tube area away from the brake bracket as against the rest of the axle tube to ensure secure absorption of the radial expansion forces.

Further aims, features, advantages and applications of the invention are evident from the following description of embodiments with reference to the drawings. All features described and/or pictorially represented, alone or in any combination form the subject of the invention, also independent of their summary in individual claims or their cross-references.

Illustrations:

FIG. 1 An embodiment of the wheel mounting as per invention, partly sectional and broken away.

FIG. 2 A representation of the embodiment in FIG. 1 (without brake bracket), in which, however, the clamping body and threaded bolt have been omitted.

FIG. 3 Frontal view of the embodiment in FIG. 1 from direction III in which the brake bracket is shown in its position on the axle tube.

FIG. 4 A representation as per FIG. 1 for another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 A representation as per FIG. 2 for the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 Frontal view of the clamping piece of cruciform design from direction VI in

FIG. 7 Yet another embodiment of a wheel mounting as per invention in a representation similar to FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 The embodiment in FIG. 7 (without brake bracket) in another sectional plane.

As shown in FIG. 1-3 the wheel mounting as per invention is applied to an axle housing in the form of an axle tube 1 for vehicles, particularly commercial vehicles. With this method of wheel mounting, the wheel (not shown) is attached e.g. by means of wheel bolts (also not shown) to a wheel hub (not shown) pivoting on the axle stub 2 of the axle tube 1. The axle stub 2 is radially clamped on to the end section 3 of the axle tube 1 as a separate component. For this purpose the inside of the end section 3 of the axle tube 1 is cylindrical. The axle stub 2 fits into the end section 3 of the axle tube 1 with an externally likewise cylindrical connecting section 5. Thereby the end section 3 of the axle tube 1 is radially clamped on to the connecting section 5 of the axle stub 2 by means of at least one clamping piece 6 that is adjustable in axial direction to the end 12 of the axle tube 1 by means of a threaded bolt 8. The clamping piece 6 is a clamping cone 6′ cooperating with an interior conical surface 7 of the connecting section 5 of the axle stub 2 opening towards the opposite end of the axle tube 1. The wall 11 of the connecting section forming the internal conical surface 7 features at least one basically axis parallel expansion slit 4 which is open at the inside end of the connecting section 5. The slit(s) 4 taper(s) from the inside end of the connecting section towards the end 12 of the axle tube 1. The bracing of the clamping piece 6 in relation to the connecting section 5 and thereby of the connecting section 5 in relation to the end section 3 of the axle tube 1 comes about by the fact that a threaded section 8′ of the axial threaded bolt 8 engages an internal thread 15 of the clamping piece 6 and that the axial threaded bolt pivots on the axle stub 2. If several expansion slits 4 are provided they are preferably evenly distributed over the circumference of the wall 11 of the connecting section 5 of the axle stub 2. As can be seen, the clamping piece 6 acts on the end section 3 of the axle tube 1 in an area away from the brake bracket so that there is frictional connection over a large area whereby at the same time an undesired expansion of the end 12 of the axle tube 1 is prevented. It is advantageous to secure the clamping piece 6, 6′ against rotation in relation to the axle stub 2, e.g. by a local elevation projecting into one of the expansion slits 4.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4-6 the clamping piece 6 is designed as a cross-shaped body 6″ whose cross arms 13 engage the expansion slit 4 tapering towards the end 12 of the axle tube 1. As its cross arms 13 define its outside circumference as essentially cylindrical, the cross-shaped body 6″ can be carried on the internally cylindrical axle tube 1. When the cross-shaped body 6′ is braced with the aid of the threaded bolt 8, the cross arms move progressively further into the expansion slits 4 tapering into the direction of movement so that expansion of the connecting section 5 follows.

In the additional embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 the clamping piece 6 is designed as a clamping wedge 6″ cooperating with an inclined surface 9 of the connecting section 5 of the axle stub 2 oriented towards the opposite end of the axle tube. Here there is no need for expansion slits 4 in the wall 11 of the connecting section 5. When tensioning i.e. actuating the threaded bolt 8, the connecting section 5 and the clamping wedge 6′ interlock within the axle tube 1 to form a secure but detachable connection of the axle stub 2 with the axle tube 1 just like with the other embodiments, even at strong forces occurring in commercial vehicles.

When a brake disc needs to be exchanged, it is by application of the invention only necessary to detach the axle stub 2 from the axle tube 1 without interference to the wheel bearing (not shown) positioned on the axle pin 16 of the axle stub 2 projecting from the axle tube 1.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

-   1 Axle tube -   2 Axle stub -   3 End section of axle tube 1 -   4 Expansion slit -   5 Connecting section -   6, 6′, 6″, 6′″ Clamping piece, clamping cone, clamping wedge,     cross-shaped body -   7 Internal conical surface -   8, 8′ Threaded bolt, threaded section -   9, 9′ Inclined surfaces -   10 Brake bracket -   11 Wall -   12 End of axle tube 1 -   13 Cross-arms -   14 0-ring -   15 Internal thread -   16 Axle pin 

1-11. (canceled)
 12. Method for mounting a wheel on an axle housing in the form of an axle tube (1) for vehicles, in particular commercial vehicles, whereby the wheel is fixed e.g. with wheel bolts to a wheel hub, pivoting on the axle stub (2) of the axle tube (1) and the axle stub (2) is clamped on to an end section (3) of the axle tube (1) as a separate component, wherein the inside of the end section (3) of the axle tube (1) is cylindrical, the axle stub (2) fits into the end section (3) of the axle tube (1) with an externally corresponding cylindrical connecting section (5) and the end section (3) of the axle tube (1) is radially clamped on to the connecting section (5) of the axle stub (2) by means of at least one clamping piece (6) that is adjustable in axial direction to the end of the axle tube by means of a threaded bolt (8).
 13. Method for mounting a wheel as claimed in claim 12, wherein the clamping piece (6) is a clamping cone (6) cooperating with an internal conical surface (7) of the connecting section (5) of the axle stub (2) opening towards the opposite end of the axle tube (1).
 14. Method for mounting a wheel as claimed in claim 12, wherein the clamping piece (6) is a clamping wedge (6″) cooperating with an inclined surface (9) of the connecting section (5) of the axle stub (2) oriented towards the opposite end of the axle tube (1).
 15. Method for wheel mounting as claimed in claim 12, wherein the wall (11) of the connecting section (5) forming the internal conical surface (7) has at least one essentially axis parallel expansion slit (4) which is open at the inside end of the connecting section (5).
 16. Method for wheel mounting as claimed in claim 12, wherein the expansion slits (4) taper from the inside end of the connecting section (5) towards the end of the axle tube (1).
 17. Method for wheel mounting as claimed in claim 16, wherein the clamping piece (6) is designed as a cross-shaped body (6″) whose cross arms (13) engage the expansion slit (4) tapering towards the end 12 of the axle tube.
 18. Method for wheel mounting as claimed in claim 17, wherein the outside circumference of the cross arms (13) of the clamping body (6) is basically of cylindrical configuration so that the body (6) can be carried on the inner cylindrical end section of the axle tube.
 19. Method for wheel mounting as claimed in claim 12, wherein a threaded section (8′) of the threaded bolt (8) is received in an internal thread (15) of the clamping piece (6) and that the threaded bolt (8) pivots on the axle stub (2).
 20. Method for wheel mounting as claimed in claim 12, wherein the clamping piece (6) acts on the end section (3) of the axle tube (1) in an area away from the brake bracket (B).
 21. Method for wheel mounting as claimed in claim 20, wherein the away from the brake bracket (B) is located on the side of the brake bracket (10) opposite the end (12) of the axle tube (1).
 22. Method for wheel mounting as claimed in claim 12, wherein the area away from the brake bracket (B) of the axle tube (19) is reinforced as against the rest of the axle tube (1). 